Wiener forming rack and smoke stick



Feb. 12, 1957 A. L. HARMAN WIENER FORMING RACK AND SMOKE STICK Filed July 20, 1953 fifmir amm WUUUUJUUUUULU 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. fl/e/f A. Harman ATTORNE Feb. 12, 1957 A. HARMAN 7 2,780,831

WIENER FORMING RACK AND SMOKE STICK Filed July 20, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A gwm My invention relates to a revolvable smoke stick for forming any style of Wiener or frankfurter sausage in uniform standard lengths.

More particularly, my invention relates to a device for not only forming the weiner by operating as a securing or firm mounting means on which the Wiener may be not only measured in the act of forming, but also twisted and disposed upon the device in a spiral coil so that no Wiener touches another Wiener and thereby no white spots are formed upon the Wiener, and then while secured to the device may be picked up and set in the smoker for subjection to being smoked and likewise for placing in the cooker. Thereafter, the device also contributes to holding the wieners in a form for very fast cutting of the wieners into their individual link character. Also, the wieners are held in a straight position so that they lie straight when subsequently packed in the box. Thus, the device of my invention is particularly characterized by its efliciency not only as a mounting on which the wieners are formed, but also as a mounting device for subsequently handling the wieners as a lot in the smoking, cooking and cutting treatment.

Ordinarily wieners or sausages are formed in a long casing as they are received from the stuffing machine and then the operator has measuring means which determines the length and then a twist is given to the Wiener and these are looped over a shaft or, as it is called in the trade, the smoke stick. This is of a standard length in order to fit into the smoking frame on which the various loaded smoke sticks are mounted While the meat is being smoked. The wieners or sausage links hang in loops upon the smooth iron bar constituting the smoke stick. The smoke stick forms a very unhandy device. The utmost care must be used that the loops do not slip or slide off the same while the stick is being placed on the smoke frame. This frame is suspended by a roller pulley from an overhead track and then run into the smoke chamber to carry out the smoking operation. The wieners hang in loops on this stick and are not individually fixedly secured as in the case of my invention and can readily get out of place and touch the next sausage or Wiener and thereby create a white spot. My invention overcomes all these objections, facilitates the mounting, twisting, imparting a straightness to the wieners and insures their fixedness for handling.

Besides operating as a gauge for measuring the length of the sausage or Wiener, it also spaces the wieners apart so that they cannot touch each other, being spirally wound, and it also acts as a mounting means on which to move the wieners in and out of the smoking room and to the cutting table. The wieners are all definitely straight, and of the same length so that they are in condition to fit into the packing box and ready to be put on display on the retailers counters. The device of my invention operates to hold the twisted wieners and provides for the left forearm of a righthanded operator to hold the revolvable smoke rack against the drag of the stuffed casing by resting on the top of the uppermost States Patent loops and to cause periodic rotation in cooperation with a square hub of the rack. Also, the form of the recess in which the casing is held and the size of the opening leading thereto are features among others characterizing my invention.

After inventing said device, I have learned of somewhat similar devices, but they differ in construction and do not have the same mode of operation, particularly not providing the high speed of operation and capacity.

My device provides for mishaps, for instance, if the casing should break it is easily secured to the last securing member of my device or even tied to the broken part of the sausage casing which is yet to be formed into links. This cannot be done in machines which are On the market which are inefiicient in several respects. In other words, my invention avoids a great deal of waste of material and lost time in overcoming break ups or misoperation. In serving as a mounting means and having the Wiener fixed in place thereon the device provides for their proper and uniform cooling in mass, as opposed to, individual handling.

It is estimated that of the wieners sold today are skinless wieners. That means that they were formed with artificial or synthetic skin, mainly cellulose casings.

Preparing wieners with natural casings is not as difiicult as preparing them in artificial or cellulose casings. The latter type of casings prepares a Wiener which has a casing having resiliency, and tends to spring back and not maintain its position when twisted. The object of applicants invention is to provide a machine which will prepare wieners with the artificial skin casing, which casing is thereafter manually removed.

it will be understood that wieners prepared in natural casings are not subject to having the skins removed and the wieners sold as a skinless product. The skins with the natural casings upon cooking attaches itself to the enclosed meat so that it cannot be efiiciently peeled off and leave a presentable product of the character which results when the Wiener is prepared in an artificial casmg.

A primary and fundamental object of applicants invention is to prepare the wieners on a frame which in itself may be picked up and placed on the smoke cage and then into the smoke chamber. In this wise applicant avoids any separate step of putting the Wiener, after being formed, on a smoke stick. Also it is the primary object of applicant to form the Wiener uniform in character. The uniform character refers particularly to the uniform length and round ends where the twist is formed.

A primary object of my invention is to provide a device of the class described which overcomes all the objections set forth, provides the advantages described and is particularly characterized by its simplicity, adaptation to be manually operated at high speed, and its economy of manufacture, so that it may be employed by the large percent of small plant Wiener operators.

The abovernentioned general objects of my invention together with others inherent in the same are attained by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the same being preferred exemplary forms of the embodiment of my invention throughout which drawings like reference numerals indicate like parts;

Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal elevation of the rotatable smoke rack or smoke stick and mounting frame embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a View in end elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of a section of the smoke rack, or smoke stick of my invention;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal elevation of the starting end of the Wiener holder;

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are views like Fig. 4 showing the Wiener holder on successive bars, showing the spiral dis- 3 position of the holders in being spaced from the end of the bar;

Fig. 8 is a view partly in elevation of an end section of the smoke stick or rack and partly in perspective of the stuffing machine and table with the operators hands diagrammatically illustrating the positioning and forming by twisting of the wiener units from the casing extending from the filling or stufiing machine;

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view of the smoke rack or stick with wieners in position thereon;

Fig. 10 is an end view in elevation of the smoke rack and its relation to another smoke rack on the smoke cage supporting bar;

Fig. 11 is a view in end elevation of the smoke rack or stick of my invention with wieners disposed thereon showing diagrammatically how the rack functions as a guide to the knife employed in cutting the string of wieners into individual units, and how they may be collected together en mass rather than individually handled.

Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic view of the end illustrating how the longitudinal axis of the square hub is caused to rise with its load in periodically rotating through a quadrant, said rising functioning as a positive brake against unintended turning and as a holder in maintaining the rack in desired position while the stuffed casing is being pressed into a recess; and

Fig. 13 is a view of a modified form of the brake device to hold the rack in a fixed position.

The removable and rotatable smoke rack or stic 20 as commonly called in the trade, is preferably mounted on a frame 21 which may be collapsible by having its two side members 22 and 23 pivotally mounted at 24 having crossed extensions 25 and 26 at each end of the frame forming a bearing 27 of V form for receiving the hub 28 preferably of square form, of the rack 20.

The rack or smoke stick 20 may have said square hub 28 as the mounting for brackets 29 and 30 of rectangular fonn comprising radial arms 31 and 32 at each end of the machine and horizontally or longitudinally disposed bars 33, 34, 35 and 36said arms being fixedly held in their mounting at a 90 angle. Reinforcing or intermediate arms 31a, 32a and 3312 are preferably provided between the ends of said brackets 29 and 30. Thus, this construction provides for an open smoke stick, without a through axle, said openness providing for the smoke in the smoke chamber to contact all of the wieners 55 uniformly without the interference of quantities of metal, the metal parts being reduced to the minimum in number and quantity of metal, so that the heat of the smoke is not drained or conducted away. This is true for the cooking operation as well. On the outer side of bars 33, 34, 35 and 36 are secured a row of wiener holders or loops 37, 38, 39 and 40 respectively, formed of a wire of suitable stiffness to hold its form under the wiener load and forces to which it is is subjected in operation and handling as set forth hereinafter. The gauge of this wire is important and as a part of my discovery I have found that gauge 18 functions efiiciently in connection with the size of the twist imparted to the casing and the size of the end of the wiener 55. The size of the gauge of said wire forming said eyelet and the size of the ends of the wiener 55 cooperate with the right angle which subtends between the end portions of the wiener 55 on each side of the eyelet in placing the twisted part of the casing in the eyelet under tension which puts the meat in the end portions of each wiener 55 under such pressure as to form a particularly uniformly round ended wiener and contributes to providing a gripping of the twisted part of the casing between the wieners which functions to grip the wiener 55 against unwinding. Each of said loops or holders 37, 38, 39 and 40 are of definite and special form according to my invention and comprises a V-shaped entrance 41 which leads to the mouth or restricted portion 42 of a width preferably of .073 inch, i. e. about the width of the thickness of a nickel and this opens into an eyelet 43. This dimension I have found most efi'iciently operative in providing speed and holding effectiveness as well as other advantages. The loops 37, 38, 39 and 40 are preferably rounded so as to present a flattened top 44 to permit the forearm of the operator to rest thereon comfortably in holding the rack steady and in causing the rack to turn while applying the stuffed casing to the rack in forming the same into a string of units or wieners 55. The converging sides of the V-shaped entrance functions squeezingly upon the stuffed wiener casing 50 while being pressed downwardly therethrough. There the mouth or restricted portion 42 functions to continue the squeezing of the meat forwardly and rearwardly in said casing across its collapsing width. The recess then preferably expands somewhat, i. e. slightly, to form the eyelets 43 into which the casing is pressed while being given a twisting, first one way for one end of a wiener unit, and then the opposite for the other end of the next succeeding wiener 55 or unit, alternately as the stuffed casing 50 is pressed into said recess successively in turn as the rack is revolved. The distance from the eyelet 43 of one loop on one bar to the eyelet 43 of the loop on the next bar is constructed to be one wiener unit v in length. Thus, these eyelets 43 automatically measure the length of the wieners 55 and render their length uniform.

The eyelets 43 are disposed in spiral or helical form on the bars 33, 34, 35 and 36 to cause the same to function to definitely maintain the wiener units in spaced relation so that they will not touch each other while being smoked and steam cooked, thus eliminating the forming of white spots which spoil their appearance as a high grade product, and insure uniform smoking and cooking. Starter eyelet 43 on bar 33, Fig. 4, is located adjacent the left end of said bar; the first eyelet 43 of bar 34, Fig. 5, is seen to be spaced from the left end of said bar while the first eyelet 43 of bar 35 is still further spaced from the end of said bar 35 and the first eyelet 43 of bar 36 is spaced still further from the end of its bar 36 and so on with each turn about the rack 20 throughout the length of the same, thus providing the stated spiral arrangement of said eyelets 43. The rack or smoke stick 2t) as illustrated with its quadrantly arranged bars 33, 34, 35 and 36 when loaded will have a weight of wieners amounting to about twelve pounds. The rack 20 of four sides is preferred as its form since this permits more of. the smoke sticks to be placed upon the support bar 45 of the smoke cage or frame, as its horizontal dimension is less than if it was hexagonal. See Fig. 10.

In Fig. 12, the operation of the square hub 28 in the V-shaped bearing 27 is diagrammatically illustrated. As

the rack or smoke stick 20 is revolved, it is of the utmost importance that controlled speed of operation be had, that the rack be held fixedly while the operator is pressing the casing 50 into the eyelet 43. The square hub 28 in conjunction with the wiener load and weight of the rack 20 operates automatically as a periodic brake against the rack 20 turning when not desired and yet the rack 20 is automatically free to turn when the next bar with its loops and recesses is to be turned into loading position. The longitudinal axis 56 of the square hub 28 due to its form and V-shaped bearing 27 must be lifted with the load thereon the radial distance 57 in turning the rack a quarter turn. This is readily done when the operator so desires as the leverage from the top of the loops 41, 42., 43 and 44 to the longitudinal axis is such as to make such lifting and turning relatively easy by applying left forearm. The flat or rounded character of loops facilitates the application of said forearm without objectionable pressure by the loops.

The modified form Fig. 13 shows a round hub 60 with radial arms 61 and 62 to illustrate a modified form of brake mechanism. Indents 63, 64, 65 and 66 disposed apart receive the stop member 67, subject to pressure of spring 68.

Mode of operation The mode of operation of the machine of my invention is as follows:

The first step is that of stuffing the casing 50. The stufter operator controls the machine which stuffs the meat into the wiener long continuous casing. This stuffed continuous casing with one end tied is deposited upon the bench. At this point the mechanical linking machine is eliminated by applicant. He does not have any machine or apparatus in any wise comparable to the mechanical linking machine above referred to and which is in use in some plants. It will be understood that by omitting the mechanical linking machine all the room that is occupied by the same is omitted in applicants plant. He has just that much more room on the bench or table for other uses. It will be understood that the stuffer operator in starting his operation of stuifing the casing first ties the end of the casing so that that end is closed, leaving a knot therein. The second operator then picks up this casing from the table and places the knot in the first eyelet 43 of bar 33 of the device and then starts applying the casing to the apparatus of applicant as follows: The applicants device is placed conveniently in spaced relation to the end of the bench on which the casing 50 is located as it is stuffed. The operator picks up the casing and secures the one end to the first eyelet 43 as just set forth. After placing the end of casing in the first eyelet, the operator picks up the casing with her right hand While her left hand proceeds to turn the frame of applicant to the next row of stations of eyelets 43 of bar 34. As she turns the frame, she presses the easing into the next eyelet on the succeeding row and simultaneously she gives the casing a half twist to either the right or left. As she does so, she pulls the casing forward and, at the same time with her left arm, she presses down on the top of the loops of the uppermost bar, as 33-, 34, 35 or 36, causing it to revolve to the next row of eyelets, whereupon she repeats pressing the easing into the eyelet 43 of the uppermost bar and immediately twisting the casing to the left or right so that the twistings are in opposite direction at each eyelet. This operation is then repeated continuously and the frame is revolved and each eyelet station is supplied with its casing in a twisted condition, first right and then left and as the eyelets 43 are arranged in a spiral form, the wieners are kept in a non-touching position as the casing is wound upon the frame. After the first half dozen wieners are applied to the eyelets 43, her left forearm is caused to rest on the top of the loops which have the eyelets 43 at their base. This is important because as the wieners load up the machine it begins to assume a weight and this forearm operates or functions as the means for pressing over and causing to revolve the frame as the end of each Wiener is pressed into its eyelet 43. As the frame becomes loaded with wieners, the weight gives it a certain balance which makes it easier to control and revolve. Having the said eyelets 43 in definite spaced relation makes it possible to get the maximum number of wieners on the machine and all in non-contacting relation and in fixed relation where they will not move and contact each other in subsequent handling in being transferred to the smoke cage or to the smoke chamber or to the cooking chamber. The frame has been found to operate well when supplied with some lbs. of finished Wiener or sausage or frankfurter 55 producttwelve pounds being the weight while loading and before shrinkage which occurs during smoking and cooking treatment.

it will be understood that one of the primary features and objects of applicants invention is to provide speed of operation. As the operator applies her forearm to the top of the loops 3'7, 38, 39 and 40above the eyelets successively in the act of causing the machine to revolve,

the operator uses the index finger ofthe left. hand to press the casing which is immediately supplied with a twist into the eyelet 43. The casing slips into the eyelet 43 as there is a downward pull due to the following: The casing secured in one eyelet 43 of one bar and then the frame is rotated, naturally turns this eyelet 43 downward to the left as shown and, as the casing is coming up to the eyelet on the opposite side from its position on the bench, there is a downward pull of the casing. This all contributes and assists in bringing the casing into the eyelet naturally and simply and with great speed. At thesame time the index finger operates to press home the casing into the eyelet 43 and maintain the casing there so that there is no slipping. At each station, the casing moves to the bottom of the eyelet 4-3 so as to provide positive and definite uniformity of length of Wiener. The index finger of the left hand of the operator referred to above functions to guide the casing to the eyelet 43 and prevents the casing from riding upon the side of the loop and thereby operating to provide a non-uniform length of Wiener. The index finger presses the casing towards the eyelet 43 whereby it is pulled by the forces on the bench or table 52 side down into the eyelet. Table 52 is next the stufiing machine 54. This index finger operates more to supplement and insure this positive locating of the casing in the bottom of the eyelet 43 than really operating to move each casing into its station. Thus, such finger operates rather as a supplementary assurance that the casing will go there, i. e. to the eyelet 43, because the forces pulling on the bench 52 side naturally cause the casing to move to the bottom of the eyelet. All these features, it is manifest, automatically function and contribute to speed of operation of the device of my inventionspeed being one of the primary objects of my invention. This necessity arises in part as the said device is manually operated.

By thus utilizing and adapting the device to operate in this natural manner of using the pull-down of the stuffed casing on the bench side, i. e. the weight of said casing, to pull the casing towards the eyelet 43, manual operation is assisted to work efiiciently and with speed. New functional relationships are provided between the elements or parts of my invention in achieving these ends.

By reason of all of these advantages of the arrangement of the machine for speedy operation it results in the operator being able to prepare the wieners at an astounding high rate of speed-under actual operation some (500 lbs.) per hr. In other words, the operator can well approximate or substantially approximate the output of the mechanical linking machine with its inherent limitations on its operation-serving only as a tying machine and the difliculties involving delay when a casing breaks and since no use of such mechanical linking member is possible as a smoke stick. Be it remembered that such production with the device of my invention and discovery is with one less operator than is commonly employed with the said mechanical linking machine above described.

When the last link is formed in reaching the last eyelet of the machine, then the end of the casing is tied in a knot and may he slipped into said last eyelet. Thus the rack or smoke stick 20 is completely filled and is picked up as a whole and placed on the supporting bar 45 of the smoke cage. The square hub 28 facilitates placing the rack 20 on the bar 45 since the square form does not easily revolve and hence saves time in the making of the transfer. The square hub 28 is directly functionally related to providing a controlled periodic braking action. This braking action amounts to functioning as a semilocking in holding the eyelet to be loaded in position. This makes it unnecessary for the operator to continually hold and steady the machine while she is placing the casing in' a given eyelet43. At the same time this holding 7 position is so quickly overcome by the pressure of the arm that there is no substantial resistance and no delay in promptly rotating the machine to the next station. The same advantage of the square hub 28 operating to hold the frame in a fixed position on the supporting bar 45 of the smoke cage so that it will not roll about or touch other frames placed adjacent in the smoke cage also applies in the cooking chamber.

In the modified form of brake mechanism Fig. 13, the round hub 60 with radial arms 61 and 62 has a mode of operation which illustrates how other forms of brake mechanism can be substituted for the preferred very simple form of square hub 28, and in Fig. 13 the brake indents 63, 64, 65, and 66 are angularly disposed 90 apart in the circumference of the round hub 60. Stop member 67 under pressure of spring 68 engages the indents 63, 64, 65 and 66 thereby operating as a brake and momentarily locking the hub 60 in position for pressing the stuffed casing into an eyelet carried by the rack or smoke stick mounted on hub 60, such rack or smoke stick being in all respects similar to the rack 20.

The rack 20, after being placed on the bar 45 of the smoke cage with other similarly loaded racks 20 is taken to the smoke chamber where the wieners or the product is smoked and from there it is moved on the track to the steam or cooking cabinet and from thence it is taken to the bench or table where the wieners are skinned. At this point there is a particular departure from the former smoke stick arrangement and in this case applicant provides a particularly new function for his apparatus. In I this case all the twisted end portions are all in line in their respective stations and it is only necessary to take a long knife, a knife the length, for instance, of the apparatus, and press this down upon the wieners and all the entire length of the machine are severed instantly and not one by one, thus saving a great deal of time; in fact 27 wieners are cut at a time and the wieners are in a row which permit them to be gathered up quickly with two hands pressing in from each end of the apparatus. Four strokes cut all the wieners on the stick, there being some 108 wieners to the frame. Instead of having a knife the length of the frame, of course, it is to be understood, that a short knife 51 (shown in dotted line) may be run the length of the row of eyelets if desired :as indicated Fig. 11.

I claim:

1. A revolvable smoke stick machine comprising a supporting frame having a bearing; a portable revolvable smoke rack formed of rectangular frames having end arm members and horizontal bars, the end arms forming equal angles about the horizontal axis of the machine; a hub mounted on said end members engageable with said bearing; and a wire secured on the outside of said horizontal bars in the form of radially directed loops, providing eyelets spaced apart a distance greater than the thickness of a Wiener, said eyelet having a Wiener casing holding portion and a V shaped entrance outwardly directed.

2. A revolvable smoke stick machine comprising a supporting frame having a bearing; a portable revolvable smoke rack formed of two rectangular frames having end arm members and horizontal bars, the end arms forming equal angles about the horizontal axis of the machine; a hub mounted on said end members engageable with said bearing; and a wire secured on the outside of said horizontal bars in the form of radially directed loops providing eyelets spaced apart a distance greater than the thickness of a wiener, said eyelet having a Wiener casing holding portion and a V shaped entrance outwardly directed.

3. A revolvable smoke stick machine comprising a supporting frame having a bearing; a portable revolvable smoke rack formed of rectangular frames having end arm members and horizontal bars, the end arms forming equal angles about the horizontal axis of the machine; a hub mounted on said end members engageable with said bearing; and a wire of 18 gauge secured on the outside of said horizontal bars in the form of radially directed loops providing eyelets spaced apart adistance greater than the thickness of a Wiener, said eyelet having a Wiener casing holding portion and a V shaped entrance outwardly directed. I

4. A revolvable smoke stick machine comprising a supporting frame having a bearing; a portable revolvable smoke rack formed of rectangular frames having end arm members and horizontal bars, the end arms forming equal angles about the horizontal axis of the machine; a hub mounted on said end members having locking means angularly located which periodically resists the revolving of the rack; and a wire secured on the outside of said horizontal bars in the form of radially directed loops providing eyelets spaced apart a distance greater than the thickness of a Wiener, said eyelet having a Wiener casing holding portion and a V shaped entrance outwardly directed.

5. A revolvable smoke stick machine comprising a supporting frame having a bearing; a portable revolvable smoke rack formed or rectangular frames having end arm members and horizontal bars, the end arms forming equal angles about the horizontal axis of the machine; a hub mounted on said end members engageable with said bearing; and a wire secured on the outside of said horizontal bars in the form of radially directed loops having flattened tops for arm of operator engagement, providing eyelets spaced apart a distance greater than the thicknes of a Wiener, said eyelet having a Wiener casing holding portion and a V shaped entrance outwardly directed.

6. A revolvable smoke stick machine comprising a supporting frame having a V shaped bearing; a portable revolvable smoke rack formed of rectangular frames having end arm members and horizontal bars, the end arms forming equal angles about the horizontal axis of the machine; a square hub mounted on said end members engageable with said bearing; and a wire secured on the outside of said horizontal bars in the form of radially directed loops providing eyelets spaced apart a distance greater than the thickness of a Wiener, said eyelet having a Wiener casing holding portion and a V shaped entrance outwardly directed.

7. A revolvable smoke stick machine comprising a supporting frame having a V-shaped bearing; a portable revolvable smoke rack formed of rectangular frames having end arm members and four horizontal bars, the end arms forming equal angles about the horizontal axis of the machine; a square hub mounted on said end members engageable with said bearing; and a wire secured on the outside of said horizontal bars in the form of radially directed loops providing eyelets spaced apart a distance greater than the thickness of a Wiener, said eyelet having a Wiener casing holding portion and a V-shaped entrance outwardly directed.

8. A revolvable smoke stick machine comprising a supporting frame having a V-shaped bearing; a portable revolvable smoke rack formed of rectangular frames having end arm members and horizontal bars, the end arms forming equal angles about the horizontal axis of the machine; a square hub mounted on said end members engageable with said bearing; and a wire of 18 gauge secured on the outside of said horizontal bars in the form of radially directed loops providing eyelets spaced apart a distance greater than the thickness of a Wiener, said eyelet having a Wiener casing holding portion and a V-shaped entrance outwardly directed.

9. A revolvable smoke stick machine comprising a supporting frame having a V-shaped bearing; a portable revolvable smoke rack formed of rectangular frames having end arm members and horizontal bars, the end arms forming equal angles about the horizontal axis of the machine; a square hub mounted on said end members engageable with said bearing; and a wire secured on the outside of said horizontal bars in the form of radially directed loops having flattened tops for arm of operator engagement providing eyelets spaced apart a distance greater than the thickness of a Wiener, said eyelet having a wiener casing holding portion and a V-shaped entrance outwardly directed.

10. A revolvable smoke stick machine comprising a supporting frame having a V-shaped bearing; a portable revolvable smoke rack formed of rectangular frames having end arm members and horizontal parts, the end arms forming equal angles about the horizontal axis of the machine; a square hub mounted on said end members engageable with said bearing; and a wire secured on the outside of said horizontal bars in the form of radially directed loops having flattened tops for arm of operator engagement providing eyelets spaced apart a distance greater than the thickness of a Wiener, and eyelet having a restricted portion of about .073 inches width and a V-shaped entrance outwardly directed.

11. In a revolvable smoke stick machine, a portable smoke rack formed of rectangular frames having end arm members and horizontal bars, the end arms forming equal angles about a horizontal axis of the machine; a square hub mounted on said end members; and a wire secured on the outside of said horizontal bars in the form of radially directed loops having flattened tops for arm of operator engagement, providing eyelets spaced apart a distance greater than the thickness of a Wiener, said eyelet having a Wiener casing holding portion and a Vehaped entrance outwardly directed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

